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BALLSTON SPA — Nearing the conclusion of a meeting of the Ballston Spa Board of Trustees Oct. 25, village Mayor Larry Woolbright read for the better part of 20 minutes from a prepared statement that announced his resignation as mayor, effective Oct. 29.
“To be honest, lately it’s been a constant battle just to be able to do my job,” he said. “I apologize for not fulfilling my entire four-year term, but I find my current situation untenable, and I must step down.”
Woolbright was elected in March 2019 and became the village’s first new mayor in nearly a quarter-century, succeeding John Romano who had held the office since 1995.
“My unproductive relationship with the Board of Trustees is the sole reason for this decision,” Woolbright explained. “The relationship has become more strained and adversarial. The trustees block me at every turn, and their attitude toward community members and village staff is not always consistent with my idea of how the village and friends should operate.”
Since taking office, Woolbright said he navigated the village from a $300,000 deficit to a $2.5 million surplus, building a fund balance which he said should be spent on things like the maintenance and replacement of aging village equipment and its infrastructure. The board, he said, is more focused on “important but not urgent” needs. “How will we pay for these essential needs if we spend our surplus on trees and invasive weeds… I’m sorry, but to fritter it away on niceties when we still lack necessities is the height of irresponsibility.” Following the meeting, village attorney Stephanie Ferradino also announced she will be resigning her position.
Village government is headed by the mayor and four trustees, who together form Ballston Spa’s local legislative body. Each member serves a four-year term.
Woolbright clarified that his “negative comments” do not apply to Christine Fitzpatrick, whom he called “a model trustee.” Fitzpatrick also serves as village deputy mayor. The four-member trustee board has the power to temporarily fill the mayoral vacancy by majority vote, or to allow the deputy mayor to temporarily fill that vacancy. Should the deputy mayor/trustee ascend to that position, they then would singularly be charged with appointing a member for their vacated trustee seat. Either way, a Special Election would need to take place in 2022.
“Even though the next scheduled election is in 2023, there would have to be a Special Election next year for the unexpired portion of the term for the mayor who just resigned – even if the board appoints someone to fill the vacancy now or in the near future,” explained Peter Baynes, Executive Director and CEO at the New York State Conference of Mayors, or NYCOM.
“It has been an honor to serve as your mayor. I believe I am leaving the village in better shape than I found it,” Woolbright concluded.
The announcement seemed to take the members of the board of trustees by surprise. Following Woolbright’s 20-minute reading of his statement, trustees on the board individually thanked the mayor for his service.
